4 March 2008

Ludwigian obscurantism

In 1937, Wittgenstein wrote:

"The light work sheds is a beautiful light, which, however, only shines with real beauty if it is illuminated by yet another light."

(From Vermischte Bemerkungen (Culture and Value)).

This is a beautiful formulation - but I have almost no clue what it means. The beauty of work is to be seen in relation to other forms of beauty? Well - what would it mean to say that work itself is important, beautiful (etc.)? No matter what forms of work that are performed? Maybe that's the point. (Btw: Wittgenstein visited the Soviet Union in the late thirties, but he returned quite soon...) Perhaps he is talking about the work of a philosopher.

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